Light weight lift



Sept. 5, 1961 KARR 2,998,994

LIGHT WEIGHT LIFT Filed July 16, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 17 9 9 ATTORNE Sept. 5, 1961 Filed July 16, 1959 LIGHT WEIGHT LIFT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR United This invention relates to a lift for various uses and has for an object to provide such a lift of an improved construction which will be of light weight, and will have high strengthin proportion to its weight.

It is also an object to provide a lift which can be suspended as a light weight elevator and is adapted for use, for example, as an electrically operated cable hoist which may be lowered from a helicopter for lift and descent, and employed for rescue of persons from water or inacessible locations, or transfer of objects between different locations.

It is another object to provide such a device of a construction which will have minimum resistance to wind and water, and may be used as a platform when used beside a boat or downed plane to assist in removing persons incapable through injury or illness of helping themselves.

Other uses to which it is adapted are as a picked-up for floating bodies, swimming survivors of shipwrecks, and similar uses.

till another object is to provide a construction for this type of device which may be collapsed or reduced in size for requiring greatly reduced space when drawn into the interior of a helicopter, for example.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, Ihave devised the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification. It is, however, to be understood the invention is not limited to the specific details of construction and arrangement shown, but may embody various changes and modifications within the scope of the invention.

In these drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one form of the device;

FIG. 2 is a detail of a supporting means for the platform section;

FIG. 3 is a view thereof looking from the left of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a detail section of a portion of the supporting means for the device;

FIG. 5 is a partial section and partial elevation of the detachable means for connecting the pivotal side to the body in its closed position;

FIG. 6 is a side elevation of this means for holding this side in its closed position;

FIG. 7 is a side view of a rudder used for stabilizing the device in use;

FIG. 8 is an edge view thereof;

FIG. 9' is a partial section and partial side view indicating how this rudder may be mounted on the platform;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing another form of the device with the parts in the extended or open position;

FIG. 11 is a partial perspective View thereof when in the collapsed position;

FIG. 12 is a detail section showing a portion of the suspending means, the section being substantially on the line 12-12 of FIG. 10;

FIG. 13 is a partial side view and partial section showing a means for securing the hinged side to the body of the platform in its closed position;

FIG. 14 is a side view of the device of FIG. 13;

FIG. 15 is a side view of the rudder for use with the device of FIG. 10 to stabilize it in the water;

FIG. 16 is an edge view thereof, and

FIG. 17 is a partial side view and partial section showing how this rudder may be mounted.

Patent 0 This device comprises a lift including combined support and platform sections. In the form of FIG. 1 the supporting section comprises a pair of crossed bars 1 mitered and superimposed at their centers as indicated in FIG. 4, so that the two bars lie in substantially the same plane and at right angles to each other. Passing through an opening at the centers is an upright tube 2 reduced at its lower end 3 to pass through a similar opening in the crossed bars 1 to a limit shoulder 4, and the bar may be secured by peening over the lower end of the tube. At its upper end there is secured a flange or disk 5 connected to the outer ends of each of the bars 1 by means of guy wires ;6, and this flange is provided with a central opening 7 of two diameters, one substantially the same size as the tube to telescope over the end of the tube and a smaller upper portion of the same size and in alignment with the opening in the tube 2. The lower ends of the wires 6 may be effectively secured to the outer ends of the bars 1 by passing through openings 8 and welding to the under side of the bar as indicated at 9 in FIG. 2.

The platform suspended from this support is in the form of a basket or container 10, including a bottom 11 and upright side walls 12 and 13, these walls being made of open wire mesh, as indicated. This is preferably substantially rectangular or square in form, with one side, in this case the side 13, pivotally hinged to the base 11 so that it may be allowed to swing down to a depending open position, as shown in FIG. 1.' Suitable means for connecting this to the bottom member are sheet metal strips 14 wrapped around the side wire 15 of the bottom at one end, and about the lower wire 16 of the sides. This open side may be secured in the upper or closed position by suitable releasable catch means, such for example as wire hooks 17, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, connected to the forward wire 18 of the side members and having a hook 19, which may releasably engage around the upright side wires 20 of the sections 13.

The platform or container may be suspended from the support bars 1 by any suitable means, but it is preferred to have open hooks 21 suspended from the bars 1 at their outer ends with a swivel means 22 depending therefrom, and having eyelets 23 at their opposite ends over the hooks 21 and similar loops in the form of hooks 24 at the upper ends of corner rods 25 at the corners of the basket10, each connected by a cross rod 26 with the rod at the 0pposite corner and passing under the bottom section 11 to provide a reinforcing support therefor. The whole device may be suspended by means of a cable 27 passing down through the tube 2 and knotted at its lower end 28. This may be a cable from a winch in a lifting device or in a helicopter, for example, whereby this lift may be raised and lowered to and from the helicopter in use, such as in rescue work for a person in Water or in an inaccessible location, or for carrying and transporting articles from one location to another.

Means is provided to stabilize the device when used in the water, to prevent its turning. These comprise a pair of rudders 29 which may be upright blades of any desired shape suspended from the platform 10 at the opposite sides thereof. A simple and effective means is to provide with suitably spaced openings 33 to receive the upturned ends 31, as shown in FIG. 9, to suspend the rudder from the platform, and it may be provided with a suitable handle 34 for placing it in and removing it from this position. i

In the modified form of FIGS. 10 to 17, the device is constructed so that it may be collapsed to reduce the space required for carrying it or for storage. It comprises an open wire mesh platform 35 in the form of a basket or container with the bottom and side walls 11, 12 and 13 of open wire mesh, and a similar support section for this platform comprising mitred cross bars 1 and the tube 2, flange and guy wires 6, as in the first form. The platform or container, however, is suspended from this supporting section by means which will permit this supporting section to be lowered into the basket or platform, as shown in FiG. 11, to the collapsed position whereby the device will require and occupy a much smaller space in storage or transportation, as, for example, when raised into the body or fuselage of a helicopter. For this purpose at each corner of the platform or container 35 is an upright guide rod 36, each comprising two sideby-side portions 38 and 40 connected by a reverse bend 37 at their upper ends and projecting a suitable distance above the container. One of these rods '38 is secured to the container by any suitable means, such, for example, as welding 39, while the other rod 40 extends down inside the container, one at each corner thereof, and across under the bottom section 11, as shown at i1, to the guide at the diametrically opposite corner. This rod '40 passes through an opening 42 in the outer end of the cross bar 1 with a loose fit so that the bar can slide vertically on this rod, this rod being spaced inwardly from the side walls of the container to provide clearance to permit this supporting section including the bars 1 to slide down into the basket or container and rest on the bottom thereof, as shown in FIG. 11. It may be secured or locked in this position by a pair of auxiliary cross bars 43 mitred and pivoted at their centers to turn about the cable 27, as shown in FIG. 12. Secured to the bottom section 11 of the platform or basket may be open-sided wire hooks 44 welded to the bottom section 11, as indicated at 45, there being four of these hooks facing in the same direction in a circle about the center of the support so that after the support is lowered into the basket these bars 43 may be turned to a position within these books as shown in FIG. 11, to thus lock or secure the supporting section to the platform or basket section when in the collapsed position. If desired, this locking means of the carrier or lift can be released before lowered from the helicopter, or it can be lowered and then released in its lowered position. The same rudder 29 may be used for stabilizing and reducing tendency of the basket to rotate when in a lower position in the water as employed in the form of FIG. 1, and mounted in the same way.

The supporting structure comprising the bars 1, tube 2 connecting them with the upper member 5, and the supporting members 6 connecting member 5 with the outer ends of the bars, together with the cable passing through this tube and connected to the device at the lower end thereof, is an important feature of this device. The tube makes the entire apparatus rigid, and the connection of members 6 to the outer ends of the bars 1 supports these bars where the weight is hung on them so lighter bars may be used. Also the lift of the cable 27 being at the lower end of the tube 2 transfers support for the elements 6 to the member 5. A very important elfect of this tube with the connection for the cable at its lower end instead of at the upper member 5, is to prevent or greatly reduce the tendency of the basket or platform to tip sideways if the load or a person should be shifted to a corner or one side thereof. If the cable were connected at the upper end at 5 the basket or platform could readily tip laterally or sidewise about this point, but with the connection at the lower end of the tube, in order to tip sideways it has to swing this lower end 'With the supported structure laterally and upwardly about the upper end 5, which it will not readily do as determined by actual tests. In short, the use of the tube with the other elements gives strength and stability,

and greatly reduces the tendency of tipping, which is very important in this type of device.

This device comprises a suspended light-weight lift or elevator, and may be readily lowered by a cable hoist, such, for example, as an electric winch, from any suitable support or carrier such, for example, as a helicopter, and may *be used in many types of rescue work or transferring material from one location to another. It is of light weight and of very strong construction, and because of the open wire construction offers a minimum resistance to wind or water. The tendency to tipping with a full load is controlled by the support structure and the means by which the cable is secured to the platform or basket section, this cable being secured at the lower or base end of the center tube. A number of persons can be carried at a time, depending, of course, on the size of the basket or platform section, and readily transported from one position to another, or readily picked up in the water, from a wrecked ship or an inaccessible location, or transported from ship to ship. It can also be used as a work platform and lowered beside a boat or a downed plane to assist in removing persons incapable through injury or sickness of helping themselves. With the hinged side lowered it can be used as a pick-up for a floating body or swimming survivors of shipwrecks. The collapsible type of FIG. 10 can be readily collapsed and drawn into the interior of the helicopter, for example, to reduce the carrying space required. The cable 27 may be the cable of the winch itself, or if preferred, it may be short cable at the lift itself with a ring or hook at the top into which a hook at the lower end of the winch cable may be readily secured.

Having thus set forth the nature of my invention, I claim:

1. A lift comprising a platform container including a bottom and upright side walls of open mesh, one of said side walls pivotally connected to the bottom at its lower edge to swing between an upright closed position and an open position depending below the bottom wall, releasable means for retaining said latter side wall in the closed position, suspending means for said container comprising two cross bars secured one on the other at substantially right angles to each other, depending supporting means at the outer ends of the bars connected to the container, an upright tube secured to said bars at the center thereof and extending upwardly therefrom, supporting connections from the upper end of the tube to the bars at points spaced outwardly from the tube, and a suspending cable in and extending upward from the tube and secured at the lower end thereof.

2. A lift comprising a platform container comprising bottom and side walls of open wire mesh, a supporting section for the container comprising two cross bars superimposed at substantially right angles to each other, depending supporting means at the outer ends of the bars connected to the container, an upright tube secured to the centers of said bars at its lower end and extending upward from the bars, guy wires connecting the upper end of the tube and outer ends of the bars, and a suspending cable in the tube projecting from the upper end thereof and secured at in lower end.

3. A lift comprising a platform container comprising bottom and side walls of open wire mesh, a supporting section for the container comprising two cross bars superimposed at substantially right angles to each other with aligned holes through the centers of the bars, depending supporting means at the outer ends of the bars connected to the container, an upright tube provided with a lower end of reduced diameter below a shoulder inserted in said holes and securing the bars together, a flange at the upper end of the tube, guy wires connecting the flange with the outer ends of the bars, and a suspending cable in the tube projecting from the upper end thereof, and provided with means at its lower endretaining the tube on the cable.

4. A lift including a platform comprising a substantially rectangular container of bottom and upright side walls orf open wire mesh, one side wall being hinged to swing between open and closed positions, a support comprising crossed bars, upright guide rods at the upright corners of the container extending from the bottom to a position above the container, means guiding said bars on the rods to slide thereon between positions at their upper ends and lower ends within the container, and lifting means connected to and extending above said rods.

5. A lift including a platform comprising a substantial ly rectangular container of bottom and upright side walls of open wire mesh, one side wall being hinged to swing between open and closed positions, a support comprising superimposed crossed bars, upright guide rods at the upright corners of the container extending from the bottom to a position above the container, guide means on the bars securing them for sliding movement on the rods between a lower position in the container and an upper position above the container, an upright tube secured at its lower end to the bars, tie wires connecting the upper end of the tube to the outer ends of the bars, and a suspending cable in the tube secured thereto at its lower end a and extending above its upper end.

6. A lift according to claim 5 in which there are cooperating securing means on the bottom of the container and the support to retain the support in a collapsed lower position in the container.

7. A according to claim 5 in which there are a series of open-sided hooks'on the bottom of the container and locking bars at the under side of the first bars shiftable to' and from a position in'said hooks to lock the lift in a collapsed lower position within the container and releasev it for movement to an upper extended position above the container.

8. A lift according to claim 1 in which there is means for reducing tendency of the lift to turn in water compris ing a rudder in the form of a plate, and securing means detachably securing the rudder in an upright position de-V References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 400,592 Napier Apr. 2, 1889 669,631 Gillette Mar. 12, 1901 909,222 Reynolds Jan. 12, 1909 1,012,678 Maly Dec. 26, 1911 2,700,568 Meili Jan. 25, 1955 2,848,269 Havens et a1 Aug. 19, 1958 

